Thinking about moving to St. Louis?
You’ll love calling this charming midwestern city home. St. Louis has something to offer everyone. For young people, there are excellent opportunities, including Washington University in St. Louis and St. Louis University. There are also trendy neighborhoods like Cherokee Street, The Ville, and Delmar Loop. For families, St. Louis offers affordable living, plentiful housing stock, and easy access to parks and recreation. For retirees, St. Louis is full of culture and history.
St. Louis isn’t without its problems, but to some, the grit is part of the charm. And things are indeed getting better: the economy has been growing strong over the past few years, and the downtown is seeing revitalization.
Living
St. Louis is home to 311,404 St. Louisans. With an area of 61.9 square miles, St. Louis has a population density of 5,031 persons per square mile, which makes it more dense than many other cities of comparable size.
The St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area boasts a population of 2,807,002 people, of which St. Louis proper’s population makes up 11%.
Housing
Affordable housing is one of best things St. Louis has going for it. The median home value in St. Louis is $119,800, -40% below the US median value, according to Zillow. The median price per square foot in St. Louis is $126. Over the past 5 years, home values in St. Louis have increased by 4%.
Renters in St. Louis will also have an easy time finding affordable housing. The median rent in St. Louis is $944 per month, which is 34% lower than the US median. Over the past year, rental rates in St. Louis have increased by 60.0%.
Economy
St. Louis’s economy is growing strong. The St. Louis metro area’s GDP grew by 16% between 2010 and 2015, from $134 billion in 2010 to $155 billion in 2015, a total increase of $21 billion. The metro area has a per capita GDP of $55,246. According to the US Census Bureau, the median household income in St. Louis, MO is $55,066, 3% higher than the national median. St. Louis’s unemployment rate is 4%.